Hi my name is Zoey the chipmunk. I live in a burrow in the temperate deciduous forest. About a year ago I was looking for some nuts for the winter…
“AHHHHHHHHH!” I screamed, as I slipped on some gooey green algae. I shot straight into the itchy mushrooms, as the forest animals like to call them. They also give you an unpleasent feeling, i was feeling sort of dizzy. The only way to get rid of it is to roll in the light colored dirt. I remember my Great Grandpa once said something to cure it...I just can not remember it though. There is a rumor that a deer about 20 miles away from here heard some humans saying that it was light colored because of bacteria, but like I said, it’s just a rumor. Even though I was awfully itchy, I continued my search for acorns, because I had a gut feeling that I should hurry up. Then an idea popped into my head! It had been a while since I had slipped on the algae, and I hadn’t had any type of reaction. I could rub it on me, and maybe, just maybe, the moisture would temporally relive the itchiness, jumping in the pond would help to, but it was a pretty cold pond, and I don’t like getting so wet. So, I went back to the pond and rubbed the algae all over me. My idea worked for a while, but then the algae dried and fell off me. I guess it wasn’t one of my brightest ideas…but then I found big oak branch, covered with acorns! I picked them all off, and counted them. There were 12, and i brought them to my favorite part of the forest.
It was the middle of the day now and I sat under the largest red oak tree it the forest burying the acorns I found in the morning. I have a habit of forgetting where I hide them, so I decided to keep them close together. Sometimes my buried acorns sprout into trees. Although this could seem bad, it makes more trees, and that means more acorns for me next fall! It is very important that I have as many acorns in the winter. I need the extra fat to stay warm and keep me from starving in the bitter cold. I can sense the winter coming very soon. No more leaves on the trees, cooler temperatures, but what tells me most that the winter months are on its way is the photoperiod. The days are getting shorter and shorter with each coming sunset. This only happens after summer begins. Usually in Autumn I spend my time eating and making food stashes. In the distance there appeared to be many feeding squirrels. Perhaps there is food there, I thought to myself! I scurried over to get my share and suddenly I heard the warning call of a blue jay. A predator must be in the area. In the corner of my eye, I saw it. A sharp-shinned hawk! Everything but the cool breeze froze. I was so terrified my first reaction was to flee. I slowly inched my way towards a hole in a tree, but I was spotted! The vicious hawk cried its piercing call and lunged at me. I ran with all of my energy, but I was getting really dizzy, and everything seemed to be spinning round and round. The hawk dove straight at me but I hopped out of its path. The only thing I could see was a sugar maple next to a vernal stream. My dizziness came to a use! I ran up it in a spiral path to try to confuse the predator. I crawled inside a hole in the tree and burrowed down as much as I could. The hawk seemed stumped. He flew around and tried to fit inside the hole, and I almost threw up because I felt so sick. After what seemed to be forever, the hawk gave up and left for a less difficult meal to catch. I had won. I am alive.
A sharp shinned hawk
It was now getting dark and I was still sick. I went to find something that maybe could make me feel better. As I scattered amongst the forest I saw some good-looking water. I drunk it and in a little bit I felt amazingly better. I then had to get rid of the annoying itchiness I’d been stressing over all day. I didn’t know would make the itchiness go away though…oh yea! My Great Grandfather once told me that this light brown dirt that had a certain type of bacteria in it would make my itchiness go right away! That rumor must have been true! I dashed to that place where the hawk attacked, hoping it wouldn’t happen again, because I swear I saw some light brown dirt there. Once I arrived I tried it on a little piece of my arm. It had worked. I wasn't sure if it would, but the dirt worked. I still don’t think it was because of the dirt; it could have been something under it some beside it that I accidentally picked up. But it didn’t matter, I spread it amongst my body and an unreal feeling took place. It was cold so it felt good against my itchiness, but it also felt quite warm which made my itchiness feel calm, and suddenly my dizziness was gone. I loved it and didn’t want it to go away but I had to because it was getting darker and darker every minute. I now had to collect more food; I jumped and searched until I found a great stash of acorns. They were everywhere; it was like an acorn heaven! On my way back to my home a little seed stuck onto to my fur. It didn’t hurt though, all it wanted is for me to take it to a new place, so I did. I then heard some other chipmunks chatting about how snow would be coming in a few hours. I raced back to my house and stayed there for a while. As I peeked my head over the hole I could see a tint of white on the ground. It was here, winter was here and thankfully I was cured for my sickness and a had a lot of food stored for my later adventures.
A Tale of Zoey the Chipmunk
Hi my name is Zoey the chipmunk. I live in a burrow in the temperate deciduous forest. About a year ago I was looking for some nuts for the winter…
“AHHHHHHHHH!” I screamed, as I slipped on some gooey green algae. I shot straight into the itchy mushrooms, as the forest animals like to call them. They also give you an unpleasent feeling, i was feeling sort of dizzy. The only way to get rid of it is to roll in the light colored dirt. I remember my Great Grandpa once said something to cure it...I just can not remember it though. There is a rumor that a deer about 20 miles away from here heard some humans saying that it was light colored because of bacteria, but like I said, it’s just a rumor. Even though I was awfully itchy, I continued my search for acorns, because I had a gut feeling that I should hurry up. Then an idea popped into my head! It had been a while since I had slipped on the algae, and I hadn’t had any type of reaction. I could rub it on me, and maybe, just maybe, the moisture would temporally relive the itchiness, jumping in the pond would help to, but it was a pretty cold pond, and I don’t like getting so wet. So, I went back to the pond and rubbed the algae all over me. My idea worked for a while, but then the algae dried and fell off me. I guess it wasn’t one of my brightest ideas…but then I found big oak branch, covered with acorns! I picked them all off, and counted them. There were 12, and i brought them to my favorite part of the forest.
It was the middle of the day now and I sat under the largest red oak tree it the forest burying the acorns I found in the morning. I have a habit of forgetting where I hide them, so I decided to keep them close together. Sometimes my buried acorns sprout into trees. Although this could seem bad, it makes more trees, and that means more acorns for me next fall! It is very important that I have as many acorns in the winter. I need the extra fat to stay warm and keep me from starving in the bitter cold. I can sense the winter coming very soon. No more leaves on the trees, cooler temperatures, but what tells me most that the winter months are on its way is the photoperiod. The days are getting shorter and shorter with each coming sunset. This only happens after summer begins. Usually in Autumn I spend my time eating and making food stashes. In the distance there appeared to be many feeding squirrels. Perhaps there is food there, I thought to myself! I scurried over to get my share and suddenly I heard the warning call of a blue jay. A predator must be in the area. In the corner of my eye, I saw it. A sharp-shinned hawk! Everything but the cool breeze froze. I was so terrified my first reaction was to flee. I slowly inched my way towards a hole in a tree, but I was spotted! The vicious hawk cried its piercing call and lunged at me. I ran with all of my energy, but I was getting really dizzy, and everything seemed to be spinning round and round. The hawk dove straight at me but I hopped out of its path. The only thing I could see was a sugar maple next to a vernal stream. My dizziness came to a use! I ran up it in a spiral path to try to confuse the predator. I crawled inside a hole in the tree and burrowed down as much as I could. The hawk seemed stumped. He flew around and tried to fit inside the hole, and I almost threw up because I felt so sick. After what seemed to be forever, the hawk gave up and left for a less difficult meal to catch. I had won. I am alive.
It was now getting dark and I was still sick. I went to find something that maybe could make me feel better. As I scattered amongst the forest I saw some good-looking water. I drunk it and in a little bit I felt amazingly better. I then had to get rid of the annoying itchiness I’d been stressing over all day. I didn’t know would make the itchiness go away though…oh yea! My Great Grandfather once told me that this light brown dirt that had a certain type of bacteria in it would make my itchiness go right away! That rumor must have been true! I dashed to that place where the hawk attacked, hoping it wouldn’t happen again, because I swear I saw some light brown dirt there. Once I arrived I tried it on a little piece of my arm. It had worked. I wasn't sure if it would, but the dirt worked. I still don’t think it was because of the dirt; it could have been something under it some beside it that I accidentally picked up. But it didn’t matter, I spread it amongst my body and an unreal feeling took place. It was cold so it felt good against my itchiness, but it also felt quite warm which made my itchiness feel calm, and suddenly my dizziness was gone. I loved it and didn’t want it to go away but I had to because it was getting darker and darker every minute. I now had to collect more food; I jumped and searched until I found a great stash of acorns. They were everywhere; it was like an acorn heaven! On my way back to my home a little seed stuck onto to my fur. It didn’t hurt though, all it wanted is for me to take it to a new place, so I did. I then heard some other chipmunks chatting about how snow would be coming in a few hours. I raced back to my house and stayed there for a while. As I peeked my head over the hole I could see a tint of white on the ground. It was here, winter was here and thankfully I was cured for my sickness and a had a lot of food stored for my later adventures.
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